Superboy #7Review

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Enter the Alan Moore reference.

By Joey Esposito

It's somewhat ironic that one of the opening lines of this issue is "After the whole Doomsday mess, I could use a little space." So could I. The irony comes forth when I remember that Superboy's crossover issue was the best it has seen yet. Thankfully, writer Jeff Lemire keeps it up with another strong installment. Lemire dredges up the ol' Alan Moore reference by bringing back the hallucination-inducing plant from the classic Superman story, "For the Man Who Has Everything." The series finally seems to be grasping the potential that Kon-El has in being a test tube baby that's part Supes, part Luthor. Connor awakens to a world of devastation that he's created, and though he escapes more easily than Superman did in the Alan Moore tale, there's a greater question at stake: is that the future that lies ahead for him?

Though the narrative is becoming increasingly engaging, unfortunately this issue is completely unbalanced in terms of art. It features three different colorists that I think are meant to differentiate between the different worlds – the real world and the "dream" world – but ultimately only serve to muddy the waters. Most pages simply come off as convoluted, which could additionally be attributed to the complicated layouts provided by Marco Rudy. I can see what the intent is, it just never quite comes together as the team intended. Still, Lemire's story is competently told and ultimately an enjoyable read.